


Building a Home For You (Or for Us)

by Lurkz



Series: Heartlines [8]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff, architect!Maggie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-26 00:55:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17131964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurkz/pseuds/Lurkz
Summary: Alex is definitely Not Happy when Kara hires an architect to renovate her house. But perhaps that architect can win Alex over in more ways than one.





	Building a Home For You (Or for Us)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ironicpotential](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironicpotential/gifts).



> Happy Holidays, ironicpotential!! I hope you like it!!

Alex frowned as she exited the cab. A woman she didn’t recognize was just coming out of Alex’s front door and heading for the car in Alex’s driveway. Grabbing her crutches from the helpful taxi driver and muttering at him to please call the police, Alex hurried toward her house as fast as she could. The woman had just grabbed what looked like a tool box and belt from her car when Alex called out, mentally cursing that her weapon was inside and hoping sheer bravado would be enough (or that she could simply bash the apparent thief with one of her crutches), “Hey! What the hell are you doing in my house?!”

The woman froze and looked at her, clearly confused. “Excuse me?”

Alex moved closer, glowering. “This is my house. What the hell are you doing in it? The cops are on their way so I’d suggest having a really good explanation.”

“You called the _cops_ on me?” The woman sounded incredulous.

“You just broke into my home! What the hell else do you think I would do?”

“I didn’t break into anywhere!”

“Oh really? Then why are you—”

“Alex!” A third voice rang out, sounding vaguely desperate.

Alex cut herself off and looked back toward her front door which had opened once again. She found her sister heading for her, having just apparently exited the house. “Kara? What the hell?”

“You’re supposed to still be in the hospital!”

“And you’re supposed to be at work and not inviting strange women into _my_ home!”

“She’s not a strange woman.”

“How do you figure?”

The woman in question cleared her throat. “Listen, I don’t think I need to be here for this. You two hash this out and just… let me know if I’m supposed to come back or whatever. Preferably with assurances I’m not going to be accused of robbery again.”

Alex glowered but Kara nodded earnestly. “Of course, Maggie. I’m _so_ sorry about that.” As soon as Maggie had left, Kara turned and swatted Alex on the arm. “What the hell, Alex?”

“What do you mean ‘what the hell’? This is my home! I don’t know her! What the hell else was I supposed to think when she’s suddenly exiting my house and grabbing tools?!”

“You could’ve asked her. Politely.”

“Oh yes, that’s definitely my first inclination when someone appears to be a criminal. ‘Excuse me, ma’am, but would you consider _not_ robbing my home?’” Alex scoffed.

They both turned as a police car pulled up. Kara sighed. “You called the cops?”

“I thought she was a burglar!”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Come on. Let’s go take care of this.”

“Fine. Then you can tell me both what you’re doing here and who ‘Maggie’ even is.”

“Great. Then _you_ can tell me why you’re out of the hospital when I know you weren’t slated for release until two days from now.”

Alex shrugged and turned toward the approaching officer. “No reason to stay anymore. Hello, Officer. Thanks for coming.”

“Are you Alexandra Danvers?”

“Alex, yes.” She balanced precariously for a moment and pulled out her driver’s license, conveniently flashing her FBI ID as she did so though it appeared accidental. “This is my house. I’m sorry to have bothered you. It appears it was a false alarm and just a friend of my sister’s that I didn’t recognize.”

He inspected the license closely then handed it back. “I see. Can you tell me some more about what happened?”

“I arrived home. Saw someone I didn’t recognize exiting my house and had the taxi driver call the cops while I confronted the person.”

“You confronted the person?” He frowned disapprovingly.

Alex rolled her eyes and this time pulled out her FBI ID deliberately. “Yes, I did. It’s my house and I wasn’t about to just let it slide. But then my sister came out and it turned out to just be a friend I hadn’t met before.”

“And this is your sister… Agent Danvers?” He looked vaguely like the title pained him.

“Yes.”

He paused. “So you’re certain it was a false alarm?”

“Positive.” She fixed him with a hard look, not particularly appreciating being doubted.

“Okay, ma’am. Thank you for your time.”

Alex nodded and waited for him to leave. As soon as he had done so, Kara grabbed her arm and started to practically drag Alex toward the house. Alex stumbled, trying to get her crutches going in the right direction and wincing as the turn caused stabbing pain up her injured leg. “What the fuck, Kara?”

Kara slowed, looking remorseful but also stubborn. “This is why you should still be in the hospital.”

Alex shook her head. “No point.”

“You can barely walk!”

“I’m fine.”

“The doctors don’t… or didn’t… agree.”

Alex shrugged, avoiding the implied question.

Kara sighed. “You signed yourself out against doctor’s orders, didn’t you?”

Alex scowled. “I’m a doctor.”

“You’re a bioengineer.”

“I have an MD.”

Kara sighed, well used to Alex’s stubbornness. Kara shooed Alex through the door before retrieving her bag from the still lingering taxi and sending him on his way. She then followed Alex into the kitchen.

Alex settled at her table with a quiet sigh. Despite her bravado, her leg really was killing her. Not to mention the remnants of the rest of her injuries. She still stood by her insistence on leaving the hospital early but that didn’t stop it from hurting. “So, Kara… what the hell is going on? Who is ‘Maggie’?”

Kara lingered in the kitchen for a moment, setting Alex’s bag down by the entrance. “Do you need something? Water? Tea?”

Alex frowned. “Don’t avoid the question.”

Kara moved to sit across from Alex. “I’m not. I’m concerned about you.”

“I’m fine.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “No, you aren’t but we can come back to that later. To answer your question, that was Maggie Sawyer. She’s an architect and general contractor.”

“And she was in my house… why?”

“Because you need renovations done!”

“I was going to get to them!”

“You’ve been saying that ever since you moved in and it hasn’t happened yet.”

Alex grumbled but had to concede the point. “Fine. Why now? Why her?”

“Because you can’t live here for the next few weeks anyway so it’s the perfect time to get it all done at once. And Cat recommended her. She completely remodeled Cat’s penthouse.”

“Which means, a, she probably costs more than I can afford and, b, who the hell said I can’t live here? It’s _my_ house!”

Kara sighed. “Alex, your master bedroom is upstairs. You may be able to walk… sort of… but navigating stairs? And mom and I are paying for the renovations.”

Alex balked. “No. No, you aren’t. I can fucking afford to renovate my own house on my own time. And I can _live_ in my own house.”

“Alex…”

“Just go, Kara. I don’t need your pity money or whatever. I’m fine.”

“ _Alex_ …”

“ _Go_ , Kara.” Alex knew she might be being at least a little unreasonable but she was proud of managing her own life and handling her own problems without needing her family to save her and she’d be damned if she started now. After all, her mom had always made it clear that Alex being perfect was important and even though their relationship was much better now, Alex still felt the weight of those expectations. J’onn’s help in graduate school had been one of the only exceptions and even that had mostly consisted of “If you get your act together, I can offer you a job” versus more direct help financially or anything.

Kara sighed again but stood to leave. “Call me if you need something.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Alex insisted.

Kara gave her a doubtful look but left. Alex dropped her head to her hands and rubbed her temples. Her injuries ached but she ignored them. She was on leave for a few more weeks after the incident which she didn’t particularly want to dwell on. She sighed heavily and glanced at the time. Time for her next round of meds. She may have signed herself out of the hospital against doctor’s orders but she wasn’t stupid enough to skip out on her antibiotics even if she fully intended to drop to over the counter pain meds as quickly as she could.

Standing from the table, Alex retrieved her bag and fished out her meds. Swallowing them with a glass of water, she contemplated her house. It definitely could use the renovations but she really wasn’t inclined to a) pay someone and even less so b) rely on her family for help with said payment. It’s why she had always intended to do it herself. The idea of some stranger in her house for weeks who didn’t know her or her tastes was extremely off-putting. Scowling again, she wandered slowly through her house.

It definitely needed to be updated. The house was older and she had fallen in love with the lot and location more than the interior layout. It needed to be opened up and, she hoped, a proper office added downstairs. It wasn’t too large, only three bedrooms and two bathrooms, but it was on a lot set at the end of a cul-de-sac which had a huge backyard and backed up to greenbelt area giving her a lot of privacy which she found ideal. Plus, the space was perfect for the dog she hoped to adopt at some point. The house itself wasn’t huge but Alex hadn’t had a girlfriend in so long she’d pretty much given up on that idea anyway.

She leaned on the wall at the bottom of the staircase, looking at the stairs balefully. So _maybe_ Kara had a point about her ability to live here for the next few weeks. But Alex wasn’t ready to concede just yet. She did, however, resolve to not go upstairs until it was time for bed. No use in subjecting herself to the staircase more times than necessary. Slowly, she made her way back to the kitchen, fully intending to scrape together some dinner and then relax.

* * *

The next morning Alex groaned as she was woken by her name being called from downstairs. Some days she really regretted giving Kara easy access to her home. It had definitely taken far too long to get up the stairs the night before and she was nearly dreading getting back down them this morning. Perhaps she should sleep on her couch for a while…

Her musing was broken by another shouted “Alex!” Sighing, she called back, “I’ll be there in a minute, Kara!” Carefully, she dragged herself from bed and slowly got dressed. Eventually, she managed to make it downstairs--grumbling much of the way--and found Kara perched at her dining room table (since she didn’t really have a breakfast area) with a large spread of food from Kara’s favorite café in front of her. Alex made a beeline for the coffee as fast as she could before snagging a breakfast burrito and edging herself into the chair opposite Kara. She didn’t speak, however, waiting for Kara to start.

“Alex…”

“Kara.”

“We’re just trying to help.”

“I don’t _need_ help.”

“I know. But we’re _family_. We aren’t trying to say you’re incapable. We just want to help make your life easier. You’ve never let us help. And I promise, we respect your independence. But we love you, Alex. We just want to help.”

Alex sighed. “Please don’t with the guilt trip. I don’t need that right now.”

“I—” Kara sighed also. “I’m not trying to guilt trip you, Alex. Honest. We just want to help and we know that while, yes, you could do it all on your own, it will be easier and make _your_ life easier to do it this way. You and I both know you won’t take the time off work needed to do the renovations yourself full time and if you do them piecemeal it will take years and then you’ll get annoyed at how long it’s taking and how messy your house is in the interim.”

Alex huffed. It made an annoying amount of sense. Mostly. She still really didn’t like the idea of someone she didn’t know in her house for weeks. “So you just, what? Decided doing all of this behind my back was a good idea?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise! I was going to tell you before you came home. But, of course, you decided to leave the hospital early.”

“So I was just… what? Going to come home to some stranger tearing up my house?”

“Okay, firstly, Maggie isn’t a stranger--”

“She is to me,” Alex interjected.

“And secondly,” Kara continued, shooting a glare at Alex. “I was going to tell you _before_ you came home.”

Alex sighed. “Couldn’t you have just talked to me about this?”

“I--”

“I get that it was supposed to be a surprise but, Kara, really? It’s me.”

Kara sighed. “You’re right. We should’ve told you instead of trying to make it a surprise.”

“Thank you.”

“But, Alex, I really do think it’s a good idea. You can be involved in the planning and everything.”

“It’s _my_ house, of course I’m going to be involved in any planning.”

Kara ignored her interjection and continued. “And besides, you really can’t stay here full time for a while.”

“Yes, I can.”

Kara shot her an unamused look. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how long it took you to get downstairs or hear the commentary. Alex, you’re in pain. Just stay with me for a while. At least until you can navigate stairs easily.”

Alex grumbled. Unfortunately, Kara had a very good point. It had taken far too long to get up the stairs the night before and this morning. Not to mention how painful it had been. She was already dreading going back up this evening. Kara’s apartment building at least had an elevator and her loft was all one floor. “Tell me more about this Maggie person.”

Kara grinned but immediately stifled it. “Maggie’s great!” she gushed. “Like I said, Cat recommended her.”

“ _Cat_ recommended her?”

“Her precise words were ‘Maggie Sawyer is tolerable at renovation work. You could do worse, I suppose.’”

Alex grunted. From Cat Grant that was practically a glowing recommendation. She waved for Kara to continue.

“She redid Cat’s penthouse last year. And she comes highly recommended in general. Plus, she’s really nice. If you gave her a chance, I bet even you would like her.”

Alex grunted again. That remained to be seen. But at least it sounded like the woman was good at what she did. “Fine. But we are discussing the financing of this. And I want to do a whole new planning conference with Sawyer.”

“Deal.” Kara grinned brightly. “I can have her come over later today!”

Alex sighed. “Fine.”

“And you’re going to stay with me until you’re well enough to go upstairs.”

Alex sighed again, more heavily this time. “Fine. But _you’re_ responsible for packing all of my things.”

Kara made a face but nodded. “Deal.”

“Call her and have her come over this afternoon then.”

* * *

Maggie pulled up outside the same house from the day before and sat in her car for several moments after parking, studying the outside. She couldn’t decide how she felt about being here again. On the one hand, she was _really_ not happy about being accused of being a thief. On the other, she could definitely see the woman’s point if Kara hadn’t actually _told_ her about everything. Kara had assured Maggie it was fine and all taken care of. Maggie felt like she probably should’ve questioned that further.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Here was hoping this “Alex Danvers” made a better impression the second time around. It wasn’t like Maggie needed the money or the contract after all, so she at least had that in her pocket. She was doing this because Cat Grant had called directly and asked her to help out. Which was also why Maggie was giving this woman the best deal she possibly could. Plus, to be honest, she was interested in the project. It wasn’t the toughest she’d done but updating older houses like this was something she really enjoyed. There was something almost relaxing about doing these sorts of projects instead of remodeling and renovating the high end penthouses and commercial spaces she mostly specialized in.

Finally, she exited the car and headed for the front door. Yesterday’s meeting had been productive but she wondered how different this one would be. Even just her brief interaction with the sisters yesterday had definitely given her the sense that they were vastly different in tastes and she found herself wondering how much of Kara’s own preferences had bled into their planning session the day before. As she rang the doorbell, Maggie glanced around, wondering how many of the neighbors had seen the interaction yesterday and if any would call the cops on her today or moving forward.

It didn’t take long for a beaming Kara to answer the door, ushering her inside. Briefly, Maggie wondered where Alex was before remembering the other woman had clearly been injured and mentally berating herself for questioning. It only made sense that Kara would be the one answering the door. Alex was probably trying to avoid moving as much as possible. Not that that had stopped her the day before. Pushing the musings about Alex Danvers away for now, Maggie followed Kara through the house to the dining room where said Alex Danvers was waiting.

Alex nodded slightly as Maggie entered the room and Maggie found herself nodding back. She stepped forward with a hand out. “Maggie Sawyer. Architect.”

Alex smirked slightly and Maggie tried to ignore what that expression did to her. “Alex Danvers. FBI.”

Maggie couldn’t, however, stop the way her eyebrows shot up. “FBI?” Well, she supposed that explained the injuries.

Alex nodded and waved at the empty chairs. “Yes. Shall we get this started?”

 _That_ was a super helpful answer. Maggie refrained from rolling her eyes and took one of the other seats at the table, waiting for Kara to join them before starting. “Sure. So, I’ve been hired, as far as I’m aware, to renovate this place. Um, Kara gave me some input but why don’t you just go over what you’re looking for.”

Alex nodded and paused thoughtfully, something that Maggie respected. Far too often her clients jumped right into what they thought they wanted then changed their minds ten times. She had a feeling this Alex Danvers knew exactly what she wanted and would not be making many, if any, last minute changes. It would be a refreshing change of pace if Maggie was right.

Eventually, Alex spoke, absently sketching in the air with her hands. “I want an open concept. The walls behind you are likely load bearing but I don’t want posts. Any beams need to be recessed into the ceiling. I want a proper mudroom coming from the garage with the laundry in it. If you need to move the garage door that’s fine. I need a bathroom on this floor, perhaps under the stairs. Just a half-bath. And a proper office on this floor, I was thinking where the family room is now since I don’t need a formal dining and living room. I do want a space for a table that seats at least six but also seating in the kitchen, probably at an island.”

Maggie couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows slightly, impressed. “You’ve done your homework, Danvers. And upstairs?”

Alex shrugged. “Nothing much needs to change unless you have suggestions for better improving flow or something. Mostly just upgrading everything to more modern fixtures and appearance. Most of the core work is on this floor.” She paused, then added. “Also, the electric likely needs to be upgraded to whatever the modern code is. I’m not sure if that’s ever been done. And, since you’re here, any repairs or upgrades to bring the house to current code.”

Maggie nodded thoughtfully. That was mostly in keeping with what Kara had said the day before. In fact, Kara had heavily emphasized the need for an office on the main floor, though without the location suggestion. Maggie suspected the lack of one was a common complaint from the other Danvers sister. “Décor?”

Alex shrugged, seemingly indifferent. “Modern. Minimal. Muted.”

Maggie bit back a joke about the alliteration and glanced around the space and what she could see of the living room. It was something she’d noted the day before. The décor tended toward more muted and earth colors. No splashes of color really. Everything very soothing. She had definitely wondered at Kara’s passing comment about brightening things up. Maggie made a mental note to consider adding a couple splashes of color but to generally stick with the more toned down decorating that Alex clearly preferred. “Got it.”

Alex arched an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “Do you?”

Maggie refrained from rolling her eyes. “Yes.” She pulled out some papers from her bag. “I’ve drawn up a couple ideas for you to look at. I agree with you regarding the main layout so I think the biggest thing will be settling on finishes. Upstairs, I have a few ideas though, again, I agree that primarily the issue is updating. However, if you agree, I would like to expand the doorways to thirty-two inches or greater. Not strictly required but handicap accessible entry-ways is something more people are desiring and can increase the resale of the home should you decide to do so in the future. Besides, if this situation is common—” she gestured at Alex’s crutches resting nearby, “—then this could be useful for you as well.”

She watched Alex’s lips tighten and wondered briefly if the woman was about to object. Instead, Alex nodded slightly. “That makes sense. I agree.”

Maggie wondered just how common this situation really was. She refrained from asking and moved on to some design ideas. “I was thinking modern kitchen. Dark woods. Stainless steel. Granite counters. A big island here.” She gestured at the paper. “Seating at the island plus space over here for your table. This one is nice so you don’t really need to change it unless you want to. All flowing into the main living space. Same idea. Darker woods. Modern mantle. Honestly, generally your furniture works well already. I would perhaps recommend upgrading a few things here and there but overall your taste is impeccable.” She smiled slightly as Alex actually seemed to be pleased at the compliment. It was the most positive expression of emotion she’d seen yet.

Maggie continued with the office. “I agree the current family room space is the perfect location for a proper office. We’d close it off here and here and add a pair of French doors with blinds if you want to block off the view entirely. But it would give you a lot of natural light to work with.

“Upstairs, mostly updates in addition to expanding the doorways. A separate shower stall and tub. Perhaps a walk-in closet. It would reduce this weird sitting space but—”

“That’s fine. Expand both bathrooms and the closet as needed even if it removes that space entirely,” Alex interrupted.

Maggie blinked, somewhat surprised. It was never this easy.

Alex continued. “Look, Ms. Sawyer, just leave the plans with me. I’ll look them over and annotate. We’ll get everything packed up and out of your way in a day or two and Kara will let you known when you can start.”

Maggie wasn’t sure what to say. That wasn’t what she had expected. Kara’s hissed “Alex!” shook her from her trance. Honestly, though she could see Kara was offended on her behalf, this really made her job easier. Gathering the crew and basic permits wouldn’t change no matter what Alex decided unless she suddenly wanted an actual add-on or extra garage or something. And, despite Alex’s abrupt nature, Maggie didn’t really anticipate too many issues from her.

Really, she wasn’t sure what it was. Alex Danvers certainly wasn’t what Maggie would term friendly. Hell, the woman had called the cops on her just the day before. Yet Maggie couldn’t help but sort of like her. She was straightforward; something Maggie appreciated. It didn’t hurt that she was gorgeous. Pulling herself from her musings at Alex’s arched eyebrow, Maggie nodded. “That sounds good. In the interim, I’ll secure the required permits and get everything set up.” She rose, gathering up her belongings except for the drawings she was leaving with Alex. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Danvers.”

Alex seemed to twitch a little. “Just ‘Alex’ is fine. Or Doctor Danvers if you must.”

Maggie cocked her head slightly, even more intrigued. She would have assumed “Agent Danvers” as a default. “Got it. Call me Maggie.”

Alex nodded slightly and rose—with less difficulty than Maggie would have anticipated given the cast on her leg and clear favoring of her right side. It made her wonder just what kind of shape Agent/Doctor Alex Danvers was in. Pushing those thoughts away, Maggie offered a hand and shook hands briefly with Alex before doing the same with Kara who had remained oddly quiet during the conversation. Not that Maggie had known her long but she had pegged Kara as the type to interject, especially with family. Plus, there was what Cat had both said and alluded to. Not a lot directly but enough for Maggie to realize Kara wasn’t the quiet, retiring type.

Goodbyes concluded, Maggie left, already mentally making the list of what was required in order to get started on this project. The year was edging on toward winter and though National City wasn’t the coldest place ever, it would still be nice to be working inside for a while. In fact… Maggie made a mental note to have the heating and cooling system as the first thing she checked over for upgrades. A functioning heater would definitely be helpful during renovations and if it needed to be fixed or replaced, she wanted to do it first. All total, it had been a productive meeting even if far less descriptive and effusive than her one the day before with Kara Danvers. She expected Alex would be just as efficient in getting her belongings packed and that Maggie would be back in fairly short order to begin work.

* * *

As expected, Maggie was back in Alex Danvers’ home within a few days, tearing down walls and gutting the kitchen and bathrooms for their full upgrades. What she _hadn’t_ anticipated, though she felt she probably should have, was Alex’s near constant presence. The use of crutches didn’t seem to slow the woman in the least, though Maggie caught a few winces and hands pressed to her side when she thought no one was looking. But overall, the woman seemed non-stop. Asking questions and closely monitoring what was happening. She had even offered to help—something that Maggie had firmly refused to allow given the woman’s injured state. Not that she normally allowed homeowners to help anyway; there was far too great a risk of injury. But crutches and clearly other—albeit hidden—injuries? A recipe for disaster.

Alex had definitely been disgruntled at that rule but eventually acquiesced once she realized Maggie wasn’t going to budge. Instead… she hovered. Maggie couldn’t decide if she hated it—as she normally did when the buyer or homeowner hovered around the construction side—or loved it because Alex Danvers, even as cold as she could be, was gorgeous. Speaking, or thinking, of… Maggie glanced up as she heard the tell-tale sounds of Alex’s crutches against the bare floor. They had pulled up all the flooring in preparation for hardwood floors throughout the entire home and Alex’s crutches made a distinct sound against the bare concrete that Maggie had become tuned into. She tried not to examine any reason for that too closely.

Almost perfectly timed with Maggie’s attention, Alex came around the corner, moving adeptly on the crutches.

“Danvers.” Maggie greeted.

“Sawyer. Anything new?”

Maggie sighed. Patience was definitely not one of Danvers’ virtues. Maggie had very little idea of what Danvers actually did for a living beyond “FBI” but she would’ve thought patience would be a help. “Danvers. Construction takes time. We’ve finished stripping the walls and, as you expected, the electric needs to be upgraded so the electrician is due out today to begin that. We aren’t putting the floor in until the walls are painted so we have to wait for the electrician to put the drywall up. The beams are also going up today. But it’s all going to take time.”

Alex seemed to ignore the thinly veiled frustration and simply nodded, looking around the stripped house. “Sounds good. When do the beams arrive?”

“In about an hour.”

“Can I watch you install them?”

Maggie arched an eyebrow. That was the first time Danvers had _asked_ to be involved with anything. She wondered if Kara had something to do with that. “Uh, sure. Just stay out of the way, those things are heavy.”

Alex shot her a withering look that clearly indicated she thought Maggie was a bit of an idiot before heading off toward the recently framed office space without another word. Maggie rolled her eyes then bit her tongue as her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and sighed heavily. Answering, she wandered toward the back of the house. “Rachel. Hi. … Uh-huh. … I told you I started a new project. … Sometimes things take longer than expected. I called as soon as I was done. … Rachel… I _promise_ it’s just a project. You knew my schedule could be unpredictable when we started dating. … No, I can’t just stop at five pm. If the job isn’t done I’m going to finish what needs to be done. … I have deadlines, I can’t just ignore those. … Things happen… Rachel… Come on…” Maggie sighed as the line went dead. So much for that relationship. Rachel hadn’t explicitly _said_ it—yet—but Maggie could tell it was over.

Tucking her phone away, Maggie turned back toward the rest of the house and stopped short to find Alex watching her with an expression that looked an awful lot like sympathy. “Uh, hi, Danvers.”

“Sawyer. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s… fine.”

Alex arched an eyebrow at her. “Didn’t sound fine. Girlfriend trouble?”

So Danvers had caught the name. Maggie sincerely hoped this wasn’t about to cause trouble. Roughly, she replied, “None of your business.”

Alex merely shrugged. “True. If it helps at all, been there, done that. If she can’t accept your job, she’s not the right one.”

Maggie hadn’t really let herself contemplate whether her beautiful employer was gay or not but she took a stab in the dark, “Is that what you tell yourself?”

Alex smiled ruefully. “My last girlfriend dumped me when I stayed at the lab too late so… yes, I suppose so.” She glanced around. “If you’ll excuse me, Sawyer, I think I’ll step outside until the beams arrive.” With that, she was gone, far faster than Maggie would’ve actually expected given the limited movement offered by crutches. Maggie stood quietly in the middle of the gutted kitchen pondering the information she had just learned. Before, her employer had been unattainable for a variety of reasons. But now Maggie found herself likely single and confronted with a beautiful woman that was just her type and also, apparently, gay and single. It was a lot to take in.

* * *

Alex was frustrated at the crutches’ limitation on her ability to pace. She was on the phone with one of her lab technicians trying to resolve a problem and she really, really wanted to pace right now. She’d been spending as much time as possible at her own home, finding the house comforting even in its gutted state. Which was why she now found herself hobbling around the area that was starting to take the form of a private office and talking on the phone. She’d propped her crutches against the wall and was currently hobbling on her cast, ignoring the occasional pain in her side and the voice that told her this was definitely _not_ what the doctors would want.

“Donovan just… put a new sample in the centrifuge. When it’s done, check it for abnormalities in the red blood cells. … _Yes,_ I want you to send the results to me. … I don’t care what J’onn said, send them anyway. … I’ll deal with him, just send me the results. … Yes, we’re looking for changes in the alkaline levels. … Uh-huh. … Good. Do that. I’ll be looking for those results.” She hung up and sighed. Her techs were good but sometimes she seriously wondered about them.

Turning to grab her crutches, she stopped short at the sight of Maggie Sawyer in the doorway, watching her curiously and looking unfairly gorgeous in her tank top, jeans, and tool belt. The walls had been mostly put up though no doors were hung. Alex had thought Maggie was elsewhere, however, and was definitely not expecting to find her there. If this was going to be a regular occurrence, Alex might need to rethink hanging around the house. The woman was annoyingly distracting and not just because she was gorgeous. Awkwardly, Alex hobbled toward her crutches, trying to cover her surprise by asking roughly, “Something I can help you with, Sawyer?”

“I thought you might want to come verify the door selections and take a trip with me.”

“A trip to where?” Alex asked suspiciously.

Maggie gave her a half-smile. ”It’s nowhere sinister, Danvers. Just figured you’d like to pick out your own cabinets and fireplace and such.”

“Oh!” Alex didn’t even try to stop the pleased smile. “Yes, I’d like that.” She grabbed her crutches and hurried after Maggie.

The doors were all waiting in the kitchen. Maggie waved at them. “If these are correct, my guys will install them as well as finish up the drywall and begin plastering while we go shop.”

Alex inspected the doors carefully before nodding. “Yes, those are good. Let’s go.” She followed Maggie outside and after they were settled in the contractor’s car and on their way she asked awkwardly, “So… how is everything?” They hadn’t really engaged in much small talk before and Alex wasn’t very good at it anyway.

Maggie glanced over then shrugged. “Fine. You? Everything ok with work? It sounded kind of serious.”

“Oh, that.” Alex shrugged and looked out the window. “One of my techs screwed up a test so we need to redo it. I told him to send me the results for review.”

“I see. Something important?”

Alex couldn’t help the sarcastic reply. “Everything I work on is important.”

Maggie just sighed. “Yes, of course, Danvers.”

Alex immediately felt contrite. It wasn’t Maggie’s fault her staff were idiots. “No, sorry. I just…” she sighed. “I’m just frustrated. Usually I supervise these sorts of things for exactly the errors that occurred. Not being there is… getting to me.” She grimaced slightly at the over-share. Surely Maggie didn’t want to hear any of that.

Maggie glanced over again. “Yeah, I get that. It drives me crazy not to be out on a job site overseeing things personally. Getting my hands dirty. All of that.”

“Yes! Exactly!” Alex paused then blurted, “Is that why Rachel was upset with you?” Immediately, she was mortified. “Shit. Sorry. Forget I asked. None of my business.”

Maggie huffed something resembling a laugh. “Don’t apologize, Danvers. Yeah, it is. She said I was hard-headed. Insensitive. Obsessed with work.”

Alex frowned. “That doesn’t sound so bad.” Truthfully, it sounded like exactly the kind of person Alex herself was looking for. She’d gotten too many similar accusations thrown at her by exes over the years to be under any illusion anymore that anyone else would do. But… no. For one, Maggie was technically working for her and for another, she was far too nice to want someone as perpetually cranky as Alex. Alex definitely had not missed the frequently frustrated looks on Maggie’s face around Alex. The fact that those had diminished over time didn’t mean anything.

Maggie shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe not to you but to her… anyway, it’s over.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex offered quietly.

Maggie flashed a half-smile. “Thanks but don’t be. It’s not your fault and it was probably a long time coming. For some reason women just don’t quite seem to understand the job schedule.”

Alex snorted a laugh. “Ain’t that the truth? One of my exes told me I loved the lab more than her.”

“Glad to see it’s not just me.” Maggie was silent for a moment then asked, clearly genuinely curious, “What exactly is it you do, Danvers?”

Alex pondered the question. Truthfully, part of her was more than a little surprised at this conversation. Most of their interactions thus far had been contained to conversations about the house and the progress but she felt drawn to the other woman in a way she had never felt drawn to anyone, even any of her ex-girlfriends. Slowly, she answered, making sure she didn’t give anything classified away, “I’m a scientist with the FBI. I maintain field agent status but I spend most of my time in my lab.”

Maggie nodded. “Impressive. I suppose that answers the question of why ‘Doctor Danvers’ instead of ‘Agent Danvers,’ huh?”

Alex shrugged, looking out the window again. “Both are accurate but, yes, I prefer the title of Doctor.”

“So what are you a doctor of, exactly?”

“I have a PhD in bioengineering and an MD. I obviously don’t really practice on the medical side except in very limited circumstances.”

Maggie whistled lowly. “Damn.”

Alex shifted, slightly uncomfortable with the praise. She was never entirely sure if she deserved it. After all, she had nearly failed out of the program. Hell, nearly failed at life entirely before J’onn came along and offered her the simple support she’d been craving from someone resembling a parental figure ever since her father had died. “Yeah, well…”

Maggie glanced over but didn’t say anything for which Alex was grateful. Instead, they passed the rest of the trip in silence. Once arriving at the shop, Alex was out as quickly as possible, genuinely excited about picking out the finishes for her house. She was getting tired of staying at Kara’s and anxious to get back into her own places after several weeks. Besides, how often did you get to design your own place?

She paused as she exited, however, looking over at Maggie and finding her looking back curiously. Before she could talk herself out of it, she stated, “For what it’s worth coming from me, your ex was wrong. It’s definitely her loss.” With that she was out and moving for the door to the store as fast as her crutches could carry her, hoping her blush would subside before Maggie caught up to her.

* * *

Alex hesitated in the driveway. She really wasn’t sure this was the best idea but she really needed to get away from Kara’s for an evening and she found herself automatically heading for her own house despite the still under construction status. It certainly helped that she knew Maggie would still be there even at this time.

Maggie Sawyer… Alex had found her intriguing from the start. Well, once she was no longer thinking she was a criminal. The woman was gorgeous and her tendency to wear tank tops while working on Alex’s house certainly improved the aesthetics while the house itself was a mess. She was also clearly intelligent and Alex was pleased that she didn’t try to change Alex’s mind on finishes or décor except where it made an actual difference in something like safety. She also clearly took as much pride in her work as Alex did in her own despite the vast difference in their jobs.

Also she was apparently gay and single. Which brought Alex to the point of standing in her own driveway trying to convince herself that showing up with beer and a pizza on the way was a good idea. Alex hadn’t forgotten the reasons this could be a bad idea but she really didn’t care right then. She’d had so many relationships fall apart that she’d virtually sworn off dating. And yet… Maggie Sawyer made her wonder if maybe it was worth it to try just one more time. Assuming, of course, she hadn’t already alienated the woman completely with her own trust issues and attitude.

Taking a deep breath, she moved forward again. Standing in a driveway certainly wasn’t going to resolve this one way or another. Carefully, she balanced the beer and herself on one crutch, using the other to knock on the door. Only a few moments later a clearly confused Maggie opened the door. “Danvers?”

“Hey. Can I come in?”

“Um, sure. It’s your house after all. What’s going on? Something wrong?”

“No. Or yes.” Alex sighed and shrugged. “Not really. Kara has a date and I honestly just needed to not be at her place right now. It’s driving me crazy.”

Maggie nodded understandingly. “So you decided to come here and… drink beer?”

Alex gave a lopsided smile. “Well, uh… I was kinda thinking maybe you’d share the beer. And there’s pizza on the way.” She definitely did not hold her breath waiting for Maggie’s response.

“Oh! I, uh… yeah, I’d like that, Danvers.” Maggie flashed a bright smile and Alex wondered how she hadn’t swooned at the woman’s dimples before now. Maggie held up a finger. “If you give me a moment, I think I have some stuff we can use as seats. Not the most comfortable things ever but better than sitting on the floor.”

Alex nodded. “Sure, sounds good.” A few minutes later the pizza had arrived and the pair was sitting in what would soon become a proper eating area, sharing the pizza and beer.

After a few minutes of silent eating, Alex broke the silence. “So, Maggie… tell me more about what you do.”

Maggie cocked her head with a smile. “I’m just a builder, Danvers. Not very interesting.”

Alex scoffed. “Sure. There’s more to it than that.” She paused. “Um, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, though. But I promise I am interested.”

Maggie watched her for a moment and Alex hoped the sincerity was reflected in her expression. She really did want to know more about the other woman and hoped they could at least be friends even if she still wasn’t sure someone this capable would ever consider dating someone like Alex, no matter what Kara said.

“Okay then.” Maggie pondered for a moment before launching into a more detailed discussion of what she did for a living. Alex grinned a little and let herself fall into what was one of the easiest conversations she’d had in years outside of Kara and J’onn. Maybe… maybe there was hope.

* * *

After that day shopping for fixtures and finishes and the subsequent impromptu pizza and beer night, Maggie felt like something had shifted between herself and Alex Danvers. Alex was still not the most effusive or friendly person ever, though Maggie had quickly realized that was just her way. In fact, when it was just the two of them, particularly if no one else was on site, Alex became much warmer. Slowly, they’d begun having more actual conversations with the topics ranging over a large swath of topics. She’d found herself staying late at Danvers’ property sharing takeout and beers and discussing everything and nothing.

More and more, she couldn’t help but notice just how gorgeous Alex Danvers was. And as they completed parts of the project and Alex got that sparkle in her eyes when she saw the finished product? Maggie wanted nothing more than to kiss her, a desire that was growing stronger every time. She tried to tell herself that, for one, it would be inappropriate given she was technically working for Alex. She ignored the small voice in the back of her head pointing out that that wouldn’t always be true. She also told herself, with much more success, that someone like Alex Danvers would never want her. She was just a builder. Definitely not the equal of Agent Alex Danvers, PhD, MD, FBI.

Maggie sighed as she placed the last piece of décor in Alex’s living room. She couldn’t help but notice how closely their senses of style matched also. This was a place that, she had to admit, she would feel comfortable living in. And if it was with a person like Alex Danvers? Brilliant. Gorgeous. Tough. Funny and sweet when she wanted to be. Yeah… that would be worth coming home to.

She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the garage door opening. Taking a deep breath she moved that way. This was it. The last day. Everything was done. Alex had seen most of it but not fully unpacked and with the finishing touches. Kara had convinced (or simply browbeaten, Maggie wasn’t positive but she suspected the latter) Alex into going on a short trip together out of town the last week before the final portions of the project finished so she could be surprised at the final product. Maggie had to admit, she was nervous. More nervous than she’d been in a long time about showing someone their final space. At some point this project had taken on more significance than Maggie was willing to admit.

She plastered on a smile as the door to the house from the garage, recently moved about three feet down the wall, opened. “Welcome home, Alex.”

Alex glanced around the mudroom with an appreciative smile. Kara was on her heels, practically bouncing. Though Alex had seen many of the stages, Kara hadn’t been by the house but a handful of times during the entire project. Most of this would be a complete surprise to her. Quietly, Alex responded, “Thanks. It looks great, Maggie.”

It wasn’t until Alex moved into the house proper that Maggie realized she wasn’t using crutches, having been too enthralled with the happy look on Alex’s face. She still limped a little but now Maggie could get an idea of her normal powerful stride. Swallowing and, once more, forcing those thoughts away, Maggie followed the sisters through the house as they—well, mostly Kara—exclaimed over the various touches and changes. Surprisingly, Alex led the way upstairs after walking through the kitchen, dining, and living areas rather than her new office. Maggie arched an eyebrow curiously but didn’t say anything, simply following quietly. She loitered outside the master bedroom, feeling awkward about entering Alex’s bedroom now that she wasn’t doing any construction work.

She could hear Kara’s excited and enthusiastic opinions and Alex’s much more muted responses. Part of her definitely wanted to know what was being said but she stayed in the hall, studying the artwork that she had hung up for Alex. She felt a touch on her shoulder and jumped, spinning to find Alex watching her with a curious smile. “Oh, hey. Everything good?”

Alex nodded, still giving her that curious smile. “It all looks great. Thank you, Maggie.”

“Did you, uh… did you want to see the office?” Maggie looked around, frowning slightly. “Where’s Kara?”

Alex shrugged, clearly unconcerned. “She’ll be along later. Yes, let’s check out the office.”

Maggie nodded and followed Alex back down the stairs. She felt like there was something she was missing but she had no idea what it could be. At the bottom of the stairs, the pair swung around the corner and through the living room into Alex’s new office. Alex took a few steps inside then stopped to take in the room. Maggie hovered at her side, curious but also anxious about Alex’s opinions. This was one of the few rooms she hadn’t had much of Alex’s input on for design, it having been one of the last on the list for decorating. So Maggie had extrapolated from the rest of Alex’s décor and placed a heavy, dark oak desk along with more modern looking shelving and curtains. A small couch sat along one wall as well, with an end table and lamp, perfect for reading. The bay windows provided a lot of natural light, brightening up the room despite the darker furniture.

Maggie watched as Alex moved around the room slowly, her limp hardly noticeable at this slow pace. Finally, she finished her circuit and Maggie watched curious and apprehensive as Alex quietly closed the door so they were isolated in the office. Maggie shifted, unsure what to say. The curious smile was back on Alex’s face and Maggie didn’t dare hope it meant what she wanted it to mean. She blurted out, “So what do you think?”

Alex laughed softly, slowly moving closer to Maggie almost as if she was stalking the other woman. “I love it. It’s perfect.”

“Great. That’s great.”

Alex nodded slowly. “I love all of it. It’s wonderful. Thank you, Maggie.” She paused, just in front of Maggie, watching her carefully.

Maggie met her gaze steadily, tamping down on her nerves. She wasn’t sure quite what was happening here but she knew she didn’t want to leave this house without at least asking the woman in front of her out on a date. She could tell Alex had more to say, however, so she waited, not as patiently as she would like.

Finally, Alex spoke again. “So, I suppose this means… you no longer work for me.”

“Uh, correct.” Maggie swallowed.

“In that case… it’s no longer inappropriate for me to ask… would you like to have dinner some time?”

Maggie smiled slowly. “Why, Alex Danvers, are you asking me on a date?”

“That depends, Maggie Sawyer… are you saying yes?”

Maggie reached out, asking with her eyes and motions if she could proceed. Receiving a small nod, she wrapped her hand around Alex’s neck and pulled her in for a sweet kiss. Smiling as they broke apart, she replied, “That’s definitely a yes.”

* * *

**Epilogue**

 

Alex glanced around the room frantically, wanting everything to be ready. Not that it really _couldn’t_ be, she was living with an architect/designer after all. But still. It wouldn’t do to have things look out of place. She and Maggie had been together over a year now and living in Alex’s—now hers and Maggie’s—house for six months to the day. There’d been surprisingly little to change when Maggie had moved in. Their tastes were extremely compatible, something Alex had teased Maggie about, stating that she’d really just been designing her own dream house instead of Alex’s.

But now… now the design didn’t matter. Or, it did, because it needed to be perfect.

Alex huffed, adjusting a pillow on the couch again. She knew Maggie didn’t care, despite her profession. They were both neat enough people that clutter was never a real issue and even though Maggie staged locations on a regular basis, she wasn’t nearly as particular about things being at the exactly correct angle in her personal life. All things Alex told herself repeatedly but didn’t seem to help quell the nerves.

Finally, she heard the door to the garage open and she took a deep breath. After a few minutes, she heard Maggie call out curiously, “Alex?”

“In here!” she called in return.

Only a few minutes later her girlfriend was standing in the office door, looking at her curiously. “Hey, babe. Have some work to wrap up?”

“Uh… kind of. Can you come in here for a minute?”

Maggie’s brow furrowed in concern as she stepped further into the office. “Of course. What’s wrong?”

Slowly, Alex moved behind Maggie and closed the door before turning back to her girlfriend like she had over a year before. Now that she was in the moment, she felt the nerves fall away. Slowly, she stalked toward Maggie, allowing a slow smile to spread across her lips.

Maggie was watching her curiously, giving her a confused smile in return. “Alex?”

Alex stopped and spoke again. “So… I suppose it’s been six months since you moved in here.”

Maggie nodded slowly, still clearly confused but Alex could see the wheels turning in her mind. “Yes.”

“In that case, I hope it’s no longer inappropriate for me to ask…” She saw the moment Maggie realized what was happening and grinned, dropping to one knee. “Maggie Sawyer, will you marry me?”

She’d barely finished getting the words out when she was nearly bowled over by her girlfriend. “Yes! So much yes, Alex Danvers.” Then they were kissing and Alex knew at that moment that there was nowhere else she’d rather be than in this house with this woman. Forever.

 


End file.
